The Crossroads of Destiny
by Skywalker Fan Girl
Summary: A Zutara story that takes place in Book Three: Fire, The Day of Black Sun Part 1. Katara runs into Zuko and he wants to help her, but she is stubborn and refuses his offer. In the end she is forced to trust him. Little does she know, that by trusting him, she has created a whole new world for her and Zuko to discover. (I will mention that there is a little bit of magic;)
1. Chapter 1

The Crossroads of Destiny

Chapter One

The Solar Eclipse

You know my story or at least how it begins. It started with the war that Fire Lord Sozon started. The war that killed my mother and took my father away from me. The war that helped me make new friends and improve my Waterbending skills to protect whoever I could. Soon the Comet would come and either Avatar Aang or Fire Lord Ozai would end the war forever. But this war is what shaped my destiny. My destiny and someone else's. You can never know another's destiny fully. But there was someone who's destiny crossed with mine. His name is Zuko. Son of Fire Lord Oazi, brother to Fire Princess Azula, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, and nephew of The Dragon of the West, General Iroh. He was the one that started me and my friends in the war and he was the one who was going to help us end it forever. As for me, well, I'm just a simple southern water tribe girl. I started as a girl who knew little Waterbending but later became the Avatar's Waterbending Sifu. Me and my brother were taken on an adventure of a life time when we found Avatar Aang in an iceberg.

But that was a long time ago, or so it seems. The Darkest day in the Fire Nation is here and our invasion is a success so far. The Solar Eclipse will begin in two minutes, according to Sokka. We finally will have the Fire Nation fleeing and begging for mercy. But such victory is not priceless. It will cost something and we all know it.

Me and Sokka ran ahead of our pill bug like contraptions. The Fire Nation soldiers threw blast of fire at us as we proceeded on them. I bended water out of my skin that I always wore on my back. Then, with a few expert flicks of my wrists, I created a wall to dissolve the fire. Big rocks were being flung on the look out huts by Toph. They whisked through the air and then landed with a big thud, destroying the small outposts and everything and everyone inside. Before the invasion Aang had taken off on his glider to face the Fire Lord. I prayed over and over again that he wouldn't get hurt, moreover get killed. My father, Cheif Hakoda, directed the men in the big contraptions to break the wall down that led to the Fire Palace. Suddenly me and Sokka froze as goosebumps covered our arms because of the chill that was now in the air.

"Look!" I shouted, as the sky began to darken.

"It's starting! Everyone to your positions!" Sokka commanded.

"Alright. Lets do this!" I said to myself, charging forward with my arms surrounded completely by water.

I took on a group of about seven firebending soldiers.

"Let's see how well you fight without your bending," I grinned.

My water went up and then striked the ground pushing back the seven soldiers that had their new weapons in their hands. Spears. Oh how I hated spears. They were a fast, slim, and an agile weapon. I was holding off seven other men, when one soldier flew one at my face. I foolishly turned my attention away from the seven soldiers to try and deflect the spear, knowing that I might not make it. Suddenly metal clashed before me. Duel dao swords. I was startled when the swords clashed and as a reaction, I took a surprised step back and lost my balance. But someone caught me under the arms and pushed me back up to my feet.

"Just because their bending is gone, doesn't mean their harmless," said an alto familiar voice.

I spun around with a look of horror, to see Prince Zuko, with his duel dao swords out.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I yelled at him.

"Saving your life. I think a thank you is in order," he yells back.

"Don't move! We have you surrounded," one of the soldiers said.

Me and Zuko glanced at each other, put our differences aside, and took our stances, preparing for our next attack.

"Only seven minutes left to the Eclipse," I whispered to myself.

Twelve soldiers are now running towards us at full speed. I pushed my water out and split only three of the six spears I was aiming for. Zuko jumps up and slices the last three men's spears in half.

"I had them!" I shouted feeling the anger burn more and more.

"No you didn't! Next time hit from above instead of strait forward," he shouted the advice.

I huffed and still wouldn't admit that he had saved my life twice in the past two minutes. I was very surprised that my shouting had not set his temper off yet.

The sky was getting darker, which meant I needed to get to the rendezvous. I knocked one more solider to the ground and then took off running to meet up with my brother for the palace invasion. He looked up and saw me and then took off at the same speed to follow me.

"I don't even get a thank you?" he said as soon as he caught up with me.

"Just because you give me fighting advice and save my life twice in the past two minutes doesn't mean you would just be allowed to join us," I replied, scowling at him while putting my water back into my skin.

"So you still don't trust me?" he said, sheathing his swords.

"Of course not! Why would I?," I said putting my nose in the air and giving him a carful look.

He looked at the ground as if considering what I had just said.

"I can get you into the palace."

"No way," I said taking off down the street as fast as I could towards the rendezvous. He followed me without looking back. I couldn't believe it. Zuko, a firebender, was trying to help us. Me.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Stay With Me

I raced down the street, hoping to lose Zuko.

"Five minutes left to the Eclipse," I said to myself.

Five minutes to defeat the Fire Lord. Poor Aang. He's been through so much and he still doesn't know a stitch of Fire bending. If only he had someone who would be willing enough to-. I glance over at Zuko. Zuko. Could he be Aang's Fire bending master? I wasn't surprised somehow. Aang, Sokka, and Toph maybe, but not me. Funny. I'm the one he betrayed and the one he fought at the Sprit Pool in the North Pole. But I won that one. I smiled at myself triumphantly. But it quickly faded. He had also won many other mini battles. Should I trust him? Am I doing the wrong thing? What if he turns on me again? What if he hurts my other friends? Is that something I want to risk? One answer to all my questions. He just saved my life. I think I can trust him.

"Umm Zuko. The rendezvous point is just ahead," I said, slowing my pace.

"We're running out if time," he replied, looking at me with stern eyes.

I shuddered and turned away. Time was the key to our success, and Zuko was right. It was running out.

"Sokka!" I called as soon as we arrived at the rendezvous. I stopped and looked around. No one was to be seen anywhere. They had moved on without me.

"No ones here," Zuko says glancing around.

"I-I don't understand," I whispered, dropping to the ground. "They left without me. I don't know where they went or-or..." I trail off tears jumping into my eyes. Zuko kneels down next to me.

"They might be gone but they'll be back shortly after the eclipse. I'll stay with you until they come back if you-."

"This is your fault! If you hadn't come in then I would have gotten here on time! Is this your game? To betray people all the time? Well your pretty good at it!" I blurt, forgetting completely that if anything he had saved me time.

Zuko stood up looking rather angry.

"My fault! Your blaming me for your absence? If anything I gained you more time! And if you think that I'm still on Azula's side and this was one of our plans, your wrong! I'd rather work with you than my sister. Do you really think I would ever try to betray you again? I've seen my mistakes and I've learned from them!" he defends.

I look up at him, tears on my face and my eyes staring blankly at him. I can't believe I had said those things. He really was a good person, and now he had the chance to prove it.

"I'm sorry Zuko. I just got angry that they didn't wait for me. I still don't know if I can trust you. But if you really are willing to change and help us than you can," I swallowed hard and forced the words to my lips,"stay with me."


End file.
